Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-07-20
ROYAL MASONIC RITE
a Brief Historical Sketch OF the Highsf
Degrees of Masonry.

a DFtet ttSIOttC6t SK0ECn OF the HlRn4R
Degrees of Masonry.
According to traditional and document.
ary evidence in possession of the Union
Sovereign sanctuary OF the Royal Mason
ic Rite, Masonry had its origin in Egypt,
says tho Mdso,,ic World. All ancient Ma
sonry is entirely Egyptian. All who take
the higher degrees havo convincing proof
that many centuries before Christ Egypt
practiced Masonic work. Men OF Tyre re-
ceived their education bv Initiation into
Egyptian Masonry. Hiram, OF Tyre, gave
Solomon, King OF Israel, authority to es-
tablish aud work the lower degrees. Ma
sonic deg grees were worked by the Cox
leges OF Builders at Rome 7l5 B. c., and
Masonry in Great Britain was derived
from these colleges. In A. d. 9o6 King
Athelstane gave to British Masons
constitution, now called tho
Charter Of York, authorizing the
working and conferring OF the lower
or symbolic degrees. Edward Ill revised
this constitution In A ID. 1857 In A. ID.
1914, Robert Bruce, King of Scotland, gave
Masons the right to work certain degrees,
and in 16S5 the Knights Of ST. Andrew
were worked by authority claiming to
have been derived from James Ill, King
of Scotland. In l7a4 twenty five degrees,
under tho name of The Rte of Strict OBJ
by jesuit priests. In 175S twenty-five do
greos, under the name of the Emperors OF
the East and West were worked at
Lyons, Franco, BY Jesuit priests. In 1TS9
twenty-five degrees, undor the title Of q
Consistory of Princes Of the Royal
Secret, Rite of Perfection, were
worked at Bordeaux, France, by Qucs-
uonabfe authority. II is claimed that
from these twenty-five degrees the so
called scottish Rite Of thirty-three de-
grees was arranged at Charleston, 8 c.,
in 1891, but by what authority no one has
ever been able TO ascertain. 'Tis q we'll
known fact that philosophers, kings aud
priests, prior to 1120, wore generally in
structed in Egyptian Masonry Egyptian
Mysteries); there fore, it will be seen how
easy it was for this class of mon to es-
tablish new rites from the old mystic ries.
But all Masonic degrees camc, directly or
indirectly, from Egypt, and tho nnoty- six
degrees of the Royal Masonic rito include
ali ancient Masonic work. The most di.
rect transmission of the entire nincty-six
degrees of Masonry from Egypt to Europe
occurred al ou: l766, after which, for
several years, portion of the degrees
were worked under di ffe rent namcs
in various countries. The first
recorded work by E ,yptian Rte Masons
of high degree in the u. s. A. was the es-
lishment of Providence Royal Arch Chap
ter No. ]. at Providence, r. J., In 17B3,
Thomas W. Morse, twcnty-eigtt degrees,
Peleg Clarke, twenty-eight degrees, and
Moses Seixas, forty-iive degrees, Deputy
1nspector-Genoral of all Masonry in
Rhode Island, officiating. These facts are
now to be seen on the records of Provi
dence Chapter. Ninety degrees, under
the name Of tho rite OF NJ zralm, werc es.
fah lioha 20 Cl 4
body, at Milan, Italy, in 1SJa The do
grees of this so-callpd rite were intro
duced into tho United States in 1867.
Ninety degrees, under tho namo OF 'sThe
Egyptian Masonic Rite of Memphis
were establis he'd at Montaubaun. Franco,
under a seif-constitutoi Grand body, iu
1914 This Sow. sanctuary was trans.
fcrrcd to Paris in loss, and established
the first body of the rite in tho United
States in 1856 In 1865 low Of the nom.
bers in New YORK claimed to have re-
| duced tho degrees Of the rite Of Memphis
| to thirty three, under the name OF the
Ancient and Primitive rite, in con seq uence
OF which differences arose, and, in addi
| tion, thrco Sovereign sanctuaries Of the
ninety-six degrees were finally organized
| in the United Statcs-two OF these united
| in 1SS3 In 1854 ctrcful and thorough
| investigation was made concerning the
| origin Of the charters of these different
sanctuarics, and it was thought best &c
organize anew, by convention which
was held in Boston, December 8, 1884, In
response to summons, properly prepared
and mailed 10 every person known &c
have received the thirty, thirty three,
ninety, min cty-five or ninety-siX degrees
of these respective rites or bodies. At thie
convention all working bodies In the
| United Stateswe are represented; 1.007
| members wero pre- sent, representing
twenty-four States OF tho Union, and since
the convention nearly al tho working
bodies have ratified its action.
| 1t was unanimously voted that tho pro.
| posed union was very dcsirablo; thaht the
first three degrees (Craft Masonry be
left to the control Of tho Craft lodges lad
Craft Grand lodges, and that as repre-
sontatives OF all the working bodies in the
United States OF the thrcc rites, they
| ignore all former charters, and constitute
and proclaim themselves the Union
Sovereign Sanctuary OF the Royal Masonic
Rite. controlling all degrees above tho
third, heretofore known rs Egyptian
| Masonry, viz, fourth to the thirty.
third, fourth to nineiicth, and fourth
10 ninety sixth. A constitution was
unanimously adopted and officers elected.
Nearly all the officers arc Knights TEN.
plar. and large majority arc mombers
OF the A. and A, or Scottish Rite. or the
entire membership (l6,0J0), nearly all are
Knights Tcmplar Charters have already
been granted to Sovereign sancturies In
Turkey, India, France, Scotland md the
Argentine Confederation, and other ap
pications are pending, while the Sow
crcjgn Sanctuary Of Canada has enterc'i
INTO a treaty OF alliance and friendship
with this Sovereign Sanctury. Tho Roya
Masonic Rito has no fight with any othe,
Rite of Masonry. 1t does not in any way
interfere with or confer tho degrees o.
any other Rito Of Masonry, but adhcres
strictly to its motto-''Whatsoo yer "
would that men should do TO you, do ye
even so to them"